Answer

Both RFEM and RSTAB provide a suitable solution. For both programs, there are numerous European and international standards as well as various add-on modules that facilitate your daily work in steel construction.

Main Programs RFEM or RSTAB

The main programs RFEM or RSTAB are used to define structures, materials, and actions. In addition to the option to create spatial frame and truss structures, such as halls, RFEM also allows for plate, wall, and shell structures, and thus provides a more versatile option. It pays off if it is necessary to also carry out design in other areas, such as solid construction.

HK according to the standard Code of Practice for the Structural Use of Steel 2011 (Buildings Department - Hong Kong)

RF-/STEEL - General stress analysis of steel surfaces and members

Add-on Modules for Steel Structures

The add-on modules complement the functionality of the main programs. For example, RF‑/STEEL EC3, allows you to perform design of steel structures according to Eurocode 3. The RF‑STEEL Warping Torsion add-on module supplements the design according to Eurocode 3 with torsional buckling analysis with up to 7 degrees of freedom, provided it does not refer to a standard case of EC3.

Further specialized application areas, such as plastic design, a stability analysis according to the eigenvalue method, or the generation of geometric equivalent imperfections and pre-deformed equivalent models are available. Stand-alone modules, such as PLATE-BUCKLING, support your design of rigid or stiffened plates. The SHAPE-THIN program allows you to create any thin-walled cross-sections. Thus, the cross-section properties are determined and stress analyses or plastic designs can be performed.

You can design hinged or rigid connections by using the RF‑/JOINTS add-on modules.

The stand-alone program CRANWAY is available for the design of craneways.

Dynamic Analysis

If it is necessary to perform seismic analysis or vibration designs of a building, the RF‑/DYNAM Pro add-on modules provide special tools for determining natural frequencies and mode shapes, for an analysis of forced vibrations, a generation of equivalent loads, or for a nonlinear time history analysis.

If you have any question about the Dlubal Software programs, please do not hesitate to contact our sales department.

Answer

You can change the cross-section, generally adjust the model and its loads, or activate stabilization measures in STEEL EC3.

The rotatable restraint and shear panel settings defined in window Members 1.12 Parameters or 1.13 Threshold Parameters Parameters, which are then considered in the module-internal eigenvalue solver to determine the contraction load, are particularly suitable for this.

Answer

The design of general cross-sections or DuenQ cross-sections is always performed elastically in STEEL EC3, which means Since the conditions of interaction are restricted to some cross-sections, no plastic design is possible for any cross-section shapes. In RFEM 4 or RSTAB 7, however, it was possible to classify a cross-section as class 1 or 2, even though the subsequent design was carried out elastically.

To eliminate this ambiguity and to create consistency, the classification has also been changed to cross-section classes 3 and 4.

Answer

According to EN 1993-1-1, it is only possible to increase the material factor based on the applied stresses if stability analyses are not performed with the equivalent member design. Since equivalent member designs are activated in the next tab 'Stability' by default, this check box is greyed out.

After deactivating the equivalent member design, this checkbox is enabled and activated by default.

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